1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an indoor exercise machine. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a folding elliptical exercise machine.
2. Description of Related Art
The applicant discloses a folding elliptical exercise apparatus as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,962. The footprint of the elliptical exercise apparatus is much more compact after folding. In addition, a user can quickly and conveniently operate the folding or unfolding procedures. With a traditional folding elliptical exercise apparatus, the linked elements such as crank mechanisms, foot pedals, and handle links are not locked while the elliptical exercise apparatus is folded. The linked elements may be moved by an external force or a shift of their centers of gravity, and this movement may occur randomly and in an uncontrolled manner, possibly during the folding process, the unfolding process, or while transporting the elliptical exercise apparatus. This uncontrolled and unintended motion is undesirable in an elliptical exercise apparatus.
U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2008/0280733 discloses another type of a folding elliptical exercise apparatus which has a mechanism for locking a crank unit while the elliptical exercise apparatus is oriented in a storage position. The user turns a locking mechanism which fastens a predetermined pin of the crank unit for locking a crank mechanism. However, the foregoing technique is not automatic, and requires an extra step for engaging the locking mechanism to lock the crank mechanism, so that the operation will be very inconvenient.